Since Apple launched Final Cut Pro X last Tuesday, I’ve had more than 3,500 emails that range from “I’m enjoying FCP X and creating useful projects,” to “FCP X will destroy my ability to make a living.” (And, ah, far worse, I’m sad to say.)
When I first saw Final Cut X, I was excited by its potential, but warned Apple that this release would be intensely polarizing to the editing community. It does not give me pleasure to see that I was right.
Worse, Apple has alienated the very people who can make a very visible statement as to the inadequacy of the program. No clearer example can be found than the public ridicule of FCP X on the Conan O’Brien show.
Or, as David Pogue wrote in his New York Times blog: “…let me be clear on this point — I think Apple blew it.”
With the possible exception of the launch of MobileMe, I can’t think of an Apple product launch which has spun more wildly out of control than this one. Apple did not just blow this launch, they went out of their way to alienate their key customer base.
Which is a shame, because FCP X has such great potential — but now, Apple has to concentrate on damage control, rather than getting people excited about the new program.
After the launch, Apple compounded their problems with three extremely poorly timed moves:
1. Canceling Final Cut Studio (3) and pulling all existing product from the market. This is devastating to shops that can’t use Final Cut Pro X. The two applications can co-exist on the same system — killing FCP 7 will not boost sales of FCP X to those shops that can’t run it. All it does is set up a black market for FCP 7.
2. Not providing – then publicly stating (thru David Pogue’s New York Times blog) that they do not plan to provide – a conversion utility from FCP 7 to FCP X. Not only does this render a HUGE number of past projects inaccessible, it sets up the obvious conclusion that if Apple is willing to discontinue support for legacy applications with no warning, what’s to prevent them from doing so again in the future? Every time you watch a movie that is more than 6 months old, you are dealing with legacy assets. Not providing a conversion utility is completely inexcusable.
3. Leaving the support for interchange formats – XML, EDL, OMF and others – to third-parties; or not supporting them at all. Yes, the video and film industry needs to move into the current century. However, Hollywood is very reluctant to change what works. Meeting deadlines is far more important than adopting new technology. Apple’s walled garden approach is totally at odds with the nature of post-production, where the editing system is the hub around which a wide variety of other applications revolve. On any editing project I routinely run 5-10 other programs simultaneously — only three of which are from Apple. I am constantly moving data between programs. This, combined with a lack of support for network-based storage, highlight grave development decisions in determining what features to include in the program.
NOTE: Apple told Pogue that they are working on providing the specs for their XML API. This is essential for any third-party developer to access conversion “hooks” in the program. David didn’t report that they mentioned when this would be available, however.
When I was talking with Apple prior to the launch, they told me that they extensively researched the market to determine what needed to be in the new program. In retrospect, I wonder what people they were talking with.
As I was working with the program, developing my FCP X training series, I often felt that the program was developed for two different audiences. Some features, effects for instance, are clearly geared for the iMovie crowd, while others, like trimming or 4K support, are geared for pros. The program sometimes felt like it wasn’t sure what it wanted to be when it grew up.
In FCP X, Apple got some things amazingly right. But they also got key features amazingly wrong. And if they don’t change course, this software, which has significant potential, is going to spin further and further out of control. At which point, its feature set is irrelevant, its reputation will be set. We’ll be looking at another Mac Cube.
Apple does not normally ever comment on future products – though they did this year, prior to WWDC, because they needed to reset expectations. Because of the visibility of this product into an audience that can cause extensive PR damage to Apple, I suggest that Apple break its usual vow of silence and do three things:
1. Immediately return Final Cut Studio (3) to the market. If it is not compatible with Lion (and I don’t know whether it is or not) label it so. But put it back on store shelves so consumers have the ability to work with the existing version until FCP X is ready for prime time.
2. Fund the development of a conversion utility – either at Apple or thru a 3rd-party – and announce the development with a tentative release date.
3. Publicly announce a road-map for FCP X that just covers the next 3-4 months. Apple needs to be in damage control mode and the best way to defuse the situation is to communicate. Answering the question: “What features will Apple add to FCP X, and when?” will go a long way to calming people down.
I have written in my earlier blog (read it here) that FCP X has a lot of potential, and, for some, it meets their needs very nicely. I still believe that.
I was also pleased to provide training on FCP X so that new and existing users can get up to speed on it quickly.
I don’t mind helping a product develop into its full potential. I enjoy providing feedback and helping people to learn new software. I don’t even mind that FCP X is missing some features; this is to be expected in any new software.
But I mind a great deal being forced to adopt a product because other options are removed, forced to lose access to my legacy projects, and forced to work in the dark concerning when critically needed features will be forthcoming.
This launch has been compared to Coca-Cola launching New Coke – resulting in a humiliating loss of market share.
With Final Cut Pro X, however, the situation is worse — with New Coke, only our ability to sip soda was affected. With Final Cut Pro X, we are talking losing livelihoods.
Let me know what you think,
Larry
253 Responses to Apple's Challenges
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Dylan Reeve says:
June 29, 2011 at 7:14 am
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Apple posts a Final Cut Pro X FAQ, but why did it take so long? — Apple News, Tips and Reviews says:
June 29, 2011 at 7:54 am
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Sebastian says:
June 29, 2011 at 8:18 am
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Pasquale DeFazio says:
June 29, 2011 at 9:03 am
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Alex says:
June 29, 2011 at 11:51 am
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King D says:
June 29, 2011 at 11:59 am
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Noé Escalante says:
June 29, 2011 at 12:06 pm
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AlRobi says:
June 29, 2011 at 2:06 pm
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phil says:
June 29, 2011 at 11:11 pm
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David Grant says:
June 30, 2011 at 9:46 am
← Older Comments Newer Comments →@Kelly Thomas
“What kind of a bone head suddenly looses their livelihoods over a new crappy version of software? (nobody) Does their computer suddenly stop working? Does the old version of the software suddenly stop working?”
The problem is that it is clear that FCP as it has existed for the last decade is dead. It can’t be purchased, it is unlikely to be updated. You can add more suites, can’t rely on being able to upgrade hardware.
The FCP project format appears now to be dead. Apple’s own FAQ makes it clear that there’s not going to be any backward compatibility.
If I were editing on FCP 7 today I would be incredibly unwilling to start any new projects on it knowing that I was working on orphaned software. I can open any Avid project I’ve EVER made with Media Composer 5.5, and I also import any FCP project I’ve made up until FCP X.
Maybe the next version will fix this, and maybe it will be released within six months, or a year. But that’s a whole lot of maybe to be banking on for your business.
But to me it appears that Apple has abandoned the TV/Film post-production market. It just makes just makes no sense to spend millions to make a $300 application everything that a few thousand possible users need. Especially when those things might complicate the application for other users.
[…] digital media consultant and Final Cut expert Larry Jordan notes, Apple botched this launch. It did so by not recognizing that change, especially major change to a […]
This is really fun…
Why didn’t Apple offer a trial version of the software?
Being afraid to throw out a few bucks, I had to get the software from unorthodox sites to test it before.
I can say that partially I am impressed on the other hand I am sad.
Not the missing features. I am sure they will come.
It’s those damned iMovie effects, childish in every point.
I am missing Color. It was a great app.
Motion 5 – which by the way has very few reviews – is in fact an improved Motion 4.
Somehow I have the feeling that Soundtrack Pro and Color will come back eventually with a redesigned interface like Motion 5.
By the way Larry – your video training is awesome.
I love you voice 🙂 My son falls asleep immediately while I am studying and you are talking in the background. :)))
All the best and great article.
” With Final Cut Pro X, we are talking losing livelihoods.”
I assume this statement refers to FCP-only editors!
I personally do not believe one can call themselves a professional film/video editor if they are not at least somewhat familiar with Avid. Avid has been, and continues to be, the industry standard for what’s going on 2 decades now.
I know that there is a whole crop of kids coming out of school who only know FCP – and that is my point. Any one with any real professional experience for any length of time should know Avid. And for them, livelihoods are not threatened. On the contrary, the outlook just got better.
Pasquale,
You are entirely right. Professionals (at least in the broadcast world) should know Avid. Just as Avid Editors SHOULD know FCP7, which given the condescending resistance to the Apple software from the Avid community over the last decade hasn’t made that exactly possible either.
While it is true that some people in the broadcast world have based their carrier only on FCP, which of course is a mistake, Larry is also pointing out at the non-broadcast professionals who still need a professional tool. The Event-shooter, the corporate-adds shooters, the indy filmaker. For those people owning an expensive Avid system never made economical sense. Avid Editors can laugh today as much as they have despised FCP for the past 10 years, but there is a reason FCP grew so quick (until now), it just fit some people business model better than others.
And finally, I have a question for you today: Are you happy that Avid is not treating us like crap today? That’s because FCP rolled out 10 years ago and people tired (as I was) of being used by Avid (as we are today by Apple) started switching. Are you happy that Avid software got better over the past 10 years? That’s also because of FCP. Are you happy that Avid as an affordable pro-oriented software base NLE today? yeah, you guessed the answer.
And be happy that there is Premiere Pro today to fill the gap left by FCPX. So that Avid can keep being challenged and get better. And once you’re done laughing at the FCP crowed, I suggest you start learning it.
Have a good day Pasquale.
53% of the people that have rated FCPX on the App store have rated it 2 stars or lower. 45% have given it a 1 star rating. Embarrassing.
As much as I hate to switch, I’m gonna grab a copy of Premier Pro and see what Adobe has done since the last time I used Premiere somewhere about 2004-5.
I´m a professional editor here in México, I´m working these days in a TV Network where there are at least 25 mac pros and more than 30 people who use them only for editing in FCP 7.
Right now we are worried about all this problem with FCP X because we are still using tape in some workflows, less than before but we still use it in some important events, also we have a great video library on Betacam, DV CAM and all the time we are giving to our customers and partners DVD Demos and sometimes also tapes with our shows.
I mean, this FCPX thing, is nonsense, there is no rational explanation. We were joking yesterday about FCPX and its childish interface and conclude that maybe apple is working on a big touchscreen where you edit only with your fingers cause you can´t use the keyboard in a pro way like on FCP 7.
We have been great supporters of Apple here in our region since the version 2 or 3 and we feel that Apple with this “new software” or update or whatever they think it is has ignored us as pro users.
We are entering to this tapeless world and we are assuming new workflows without tape but as I said before, we still depend on it for a 50 o 60 % of our daily activities.
The world doesn´t end without FCP, I know that but what a shame for a brand like Apple for all this iMovie Pro thing, we have to get working as before and we will find our answers on Avid or Premiere and even on cheap PCs with great packages like Sony Vegas, a software that is getting great shares here in this country.
I´m glad to read you Larry, you are a mentor to me since I´ve been a suscriber on Lynda.com and I´m waiting to hear from you with new material on that site.
This question integrality from Apple Forum
-Do you need FinalCut X in order to use Motion 5 or can i use iMovie-
You see what will happen they give everybody the possibility to produce some video with Pro stuff for $49 buck, so why they have to pay a fair amount of money let say for a Wedding when a Jos Blow can do it for $300 instead of a fair price starting at $1500. Apple scrapped almost all little contract who give us a bread and butter, i quit the music business because every body copy, + we are not far to see lot of torrents and pirate bay all around, Steve Wozniak say one day Apple will be like a Divison of Window cheap business that most Window user like free, pirates or rely on really cheap App. they already find FCPX big buck that is make me laugh, when we know how much FCP PRO cost us over the years with all the upgrade in 10 years. Apple it is not just killing the Pro Division but all the real Prosumers who agreed to pay to do business their out of business at least we are not far to loose lot of contract.
If Apple really intended for FCPX to be for professionals, they would have given fair warning of the demise of support for FCP7. I’m not a pro, but I have a ton of mac equipment and software. I do high-end concert work as a second job, if you will. It’s bad enough for me — but I can’t imagine how a studio built around FCP must feel. Just two weeks ago, I was talking to the production editor for a major documentary group; all FCP based. He thought — at the time — FCPX would be more of a price point issue than a platform issue. Whoa. Can’t imagine how he feels; he was the FCP champion in-house.
As I read about and absorbed what Apple has done in the last two days, I realized I had been in denial. I didn’t want to think about the implications for my own investment in Apple hardware and software.
It took a while for it to register: there is no future Apple migration path for any work I’ve done on FCP. None. Oh, wait…Adobe Premiere imports FCP7 files.
Like others have said about the Pr Icon: click.
I have a feeling it would take massive resources to make a FCP to FCPX converter.
It’s probably impossible, I hope I’m wrong.